Why India Should Stop Treating University Students Like Schoolchildren
John J. Kennedy | 25 May 2026 | The Wire
For decades, Indian universities have struggled with a crisis far deeper than infrastructure shortage or funding gaps. The real crisis, perhaps, is more fundamental: the complete failure to understand what a university is actually meant to do. Take, for instance, the latest proposal from Uttar Pradesh to introduce uniforms in colleges and universities. What better example can there be that exposes this confusion with remarkable clarity.
The policy, pushed by Governor and Chancellor Anandiben Patel in the name of “discipline” and “uniformity,” may appear harmless at first glance. Supporters will likely argue that uniforms reduce visible inequality, encourage seriousness, and create a better academic atmosphere. But beneath this seemingly administrative decision lies a profoundly troubling question: What exactly do we think higher education is for? If universities begin to function like schools, they will only produce compliant subjects and not citizens. And what a tragedy that would be…